Quality, equity, and dignity for all women and babies

Amy Boldosser-Boesch, Senior Director of the FCI Program of MSH, co-authored the comment, “Quality, equity, and dignity for women and babies” for the latest Lancet series on maternal health, which was launched during UN General Assembly week, September 18. The series reviews the last decade of evidence on maternal health worldwide and champions urgent action to guarantee that every woman and every newborn can access high-quality care.

Amy Boldosser-Boesch comments on integrated maternal and newborn health efforts at The Lancet Maternal Health Series launch in New York. (Photo by J. Cook Photography)

In their comment, Boldosser-Boesch and co-authors Mary V. Kinney from Save the Children and Betsy McCallon from White Ribbon Alliance emphasized the importance of integrating maternal and newborn health initiatives, addressing social determinants of health, and improving access to respectful, high-quality care. As newborn health is inextricably linked with maternal health, harmonized, continuum of care approaches are necessary to advance the health of the mother-baby dyad and reap maximum benefits.

“Linking health care for a mother and her baby promotes greater efficiency, lower costs, reduces duplication of resources, and maximises the effect on their health and survival in the same way investments in family planning and reproductive health improve health and wellbeing of women and their children.”